Dozens of volunteers cleaned several beaches in Vancouver on Sunday morning after being overwhelmed with boxes, bottles and garbage overnight.
The beaches in the Quicilano district of Vancouver and the Gulf of England, which are usually kept clean even during the peak season, were left with unusual amounts of rubbish during the hottest weekend of the summer so far.
Locals who volunteered to clean up the mess said they were upset by all the rubbish.
“I’m really disappointed to see him, to be honest,” said Cassandra Sison as she was collecting trash in English Bay. “We will probably get at least half a dozen [garbage bags] if not a dozen, if we continue. “
Volunteers collect garbage in the Gulf of England in Vancouver on June 26, 2022 (Denis Dosman / CBC News)
Sison was on the beach with Coastal Water Protectors, a group of BC Métis volunteers who planned to clean the beach on Sunday.
“Found a lot”
She said the group called the Vancouver Parks and Recreation Board to offer to partner with him on the cleanup, but was told it was not necessary.
“They said, ‘Oh no, we have a crew every day, you can come and try, but you won’t find anything,’ and we found a lot.”
CBC News contacted the park board to ask about its cleaning teams, but did not receive an immediate response.
Plastic cups and empty alcohol cans sprinkle the sand on Quicilano Beach on June 26, 2022 (Sent to CBC News)
Abandoned barbecue
Opposite the English Bay beach, Kicilano Beach and the surrounding parks were in a similar condition, according to locals.
The photos sent to CBC News show unused trash cans surrounded by trash and even a full-size grill left on the grass surrounded by trash.
An empty trash can is pictured on Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver on June 26, 2022 (Sent to CBC News)
The waste included cans, plastic cups, bottles and empty beer cans.
In May, the Park Council launched a pilot project allowing the consumption of alcohol in more than 20 parks in Vancouver for the summer of 2022, including Kitsilano Beach Park and Hadden Park near the beach. However, drinking is not allowed on the sand or near water.
According to the Park Board’s website, officers work with the Vancouver Police Department and the regional health authority “to ensure that each site is safe, properly managed and well maintained.”
After the summer, park staff will provide recommendations to the board on how to proceed with alcohol consumption in the parks based on what they have learned from the pilot.
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